Wednesday, November 19, 2014

2 MONTHS!!!!!!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Hi! 2 months already?! (haha)  That doesn't feel that long, and yet it does somehow because I'm away from so many people I love! This week I went to a civil wedding of a sister in our ward with all her kids and it was so weird. (haha) It made me appreciate how beautiful and special temple weddings are and the promise we have to be with our families for eternity.  I had my first zone conference as well, and of course it was us 4 Sisters and 8 billion Elders. :)  It was so good though to receive training and practice how we can be better missionaries and use all the tools we've been given to meet and teach all of Gods children.

Okay this was a fun day, on Thursday we had divisions and I went with Sister Young....the other American....and we're in Brazil. (hahahahaha)  Let's just say we had a lot of interesting encounters with A LOT of Brazillian men. (haha)  On Friday it was a holiday here, but all that really means is that everyone is still sleeping at 2 in the afternoon, and if they're not sleeping they're already drunk...so yeah that day was fun making contacts too.

We went to a baptism on Saturday af a little 8 year old in our ward. At the end the bishop invited all us missionaries up to the front to talk about baptism. There were actually a lot of nonmembers there and we were fasting too so the spirit was so strong. I love that every day I witness and help with the work of miracles. The spirit is the most powerful tool in conversion and the only way people receive a witness of this gospel.  The fast was country wide too because Brazil really REALLY needs rain BECAUSE ITS SO HOT AND IT ALL EVAPORATES PROBABLY. :)

This week has been hard and wonderful! Just like every other! But I love this work and wouldn't be anywhere else than here :) I love my savior and I KNOW with every fiber of my soul he loves each of us back! Love you!!!!

Sister Anderson



surprise birthday party of a lady in our ward

Aracatuba!!!!!


some cute grandkids of the lady that got married :)

me being well....me

me with a little kitty!!!

Monday, November 10, 2014

THE HOTTEST WEEK OF MY ENTIRE LIFE

Monday, November 11, 2014

If it wasn't for the grace of God and that we need to like preach the gospel to all of Gods children, I'm pretty sure I would have died. Three days in a row it was over 100 and Tuesday it was 118 degressssssssss! What is that?!?!

While I've been here I've seen so many dead animals (dogs, birds, turtles, toads, cats) just lying in the street. I dont like that! I bore my testimony last week, obviously in Portuguese. Good thing people are forgiving because I'm not even sure it made sense. (haha)

I've lowered my health standard here too because I've had to just go and eat food with hairs and bugs in it. God gives me the strength not to vomit. Haven't yet!! (haha) I did eat guinea pig the other day though, and before that piranha! Fun times in the mission :) Liked 'em both... Oh also, there are chickens everywhere here! Like as pets and on the streets and for eating...its great!

Everyone here tells me i look like this Brazilian actress lady or different American actors. I think that's funny because I'm pretty sure i don't :)

I've seen big improvements in my language and in my ability to express better how I feel when I testify and teach. One of our investigators, Carlos, has a date set for baptism too :) So cool to witness and be apart of the miracles of God.

Our ward is awesome! So is the bishop and ward mission leader!

Okay so this week was awesome with investigators and menos ativos! We taught so well together Sister Kelly and I. We can teach and one will think of a scripture or phrase or something and the other will share the exact thing! My favorite experience we had was with a menos ativo and talking about our opportunity and responsibility to share the gospel and open our mouths. I talked about D&C 33:8-11 and how in every verse we are told to "open our mouths" we are promised that if we come to know the word of God and the teachings of Christ first we will be giving in the exact moment what to say if we act in faith and open our mouths. I'm working on 100% being an instrument in the hands of the Lord and being prepared to have the spirit work and testify through me. Its not easy but I'm a lot better at it now than I ever have been.

Any and all, I invite you to come to know the word of God first and then have the courage to open your mouth and speak simple truths to people you care about. You never know what could happen :) I love you all! I love my Savior! Anything is possible through our faith in our Savior!

lovelove

Sister Anderson

Jaca Fruit

When it rained like a hurricane before our 3 days in fogo (fire haha). 

caju tree....???

Sunday at church!

AracSOLtuba!!!!!!!

Monday, November 3, 2014

IM HERE IN THE FIELD!!!!!!

Im in Aracatube right now and it is so so different from anything I've ever experienced. We left at 3:30 in the morning from the CTM and my curling iron caught on fire while I was using it. (haha) Oh well.  So after a short flight from Sao Paulo I met my companion! SISTER KELLY! Shes from IMPETRIZ MARANHAO BRAZIL! Anyway she looks like the princess from princess and the frog and she is SO SO lovely! She only speaks Portuguese and I only speak English so that's pretty interesting (haha) so she is so patient and understanding. She's been out 10 months and I'm her first daughter. :)

We live with two other sisters one American and a Chillean. The Chillean, Sister Alegria (Sister Joy-- haha), trained Sister Kelly! so we have A LOT of fun with that! It's just us four and our apartment is actually really nice.

So Aracatuba, if you compare it to the sun, it isn't that hot....but compared to any place on the livable planet earth its like being in the middle of a volcano! (haha) I sweat like an unreal amount here! Lucky for me though its not that humid so phew! My hair is out of control though! I always always wear it up (haha) I feel like I don't have a personality sometimes when I'm speaking (haha) but even over this past week my Portuguese has improved so much, and if I talk slow I can say everything I want to pretty much! I was pretty frustrated at first cuz I'm hard on myself, working on that, but I decided it's okay to talk slow because these people need to understand the message and they need to actually understand it in their language.

Pray for rain in brazil! They really really need it! And now that I'm also a temporary citizen I need it too! I saw a zebra the other day! that was weird... I have so very little time to write!

lovelovelove

Sister Anderson


New Companion, Sister Kelly


It was pouring rain, so naturally we danced in the rua!!!!

District in Aractuba!

Sister Baker!!!!

Campinas and my tag


CHICKZAO!!!!

CTM District, Sao Paulo Temple :)






Saturday, November 1, 2014

Arrival in the mission and PICTURES!!!

Friday, October 31, 2014

We received a letter from Chloe's Mission President and the attached pictures today!  Here's an excerpt from the letter:

"Your daughter has already been assigned to her first area. She will be working in Santana in the city of Araçatuba, and will be trained by Sister Kelly. The area is very blessed, and your daughter’s trainer is a reliable and responsible missionary. Your daughter will certainly have much success and great spiritual experiences."

- Mauro Tupinambá Brum de Oliveira, Mission President







I forgot to say that last week was 1 MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, October 24, 2014

I got made sister training leader here in the CTM for the last week (haha), but its been cool to experience that before the field.

One of my instructors Irma Bueno is 6 moths pregnant and adorable and she lets us feel her belly when little baby Bernardo kicks and its so wonderful! haha  Love me some pregnant ladies cuz they're just so cute!

Tuesday night we had our devotional and President and Sister Swenson.  He did this thing where he spoke all in Port of course and she would play hymns intermittently. The whole devo. was about the Prophet Joseph Smith and his life and it moved me to tears. So beautiful and powerful! I love the Spirit but man I cry all the time!

Also this week we where learning (I'm pretty sure) some made up verb tense grammer thing and I lost it!  Oh I just started crying in the middle of class (haha).  Our Elders are used to us girls by now (haha), after spending 6 weeks/16 hours a day straight with each other (haha).

Anyway--tangent I invite you all to listen if you haven't ever heard it or re-listen to "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief". SO MOVING and lovely...

One thought that Elder Albee in my district had was that when Joseph needed his leg amputated the only comfort he requested was to be in the arms of his father and that we need to have the desire to be in the ours of our Father in Heaven always for he will show us the way of all things we should do.

Irma Blanco, so freaking cute by the way, told us that there are just baby chickens, and big chickens too I suppose like all over RP! Yes!!! I love chicken! haha What I mean is I love eating chicken....

Since its our last couple days here Irmao Britto gave us the challenge of an English fast. I've been talking ONLY in Portuguese and it gets hard but then I look up words in my mini dictionary that I literally have with me always, even when I sleep sometimes. (haha) I can understand about 8/10 of what the natives in the city say to me and speak about 6/10! Those are both above average so I'm happy!!!!! (haha) THREE MORE DAYS AND I'LL BE IN THE CAMP! (mission field) and I can send pictures! I'll miss my time here in the CTM a lot but I cant wait to teach Gods beautiful children in R.P.

Love you all. Remember to pray always, love always, and be grateful always. They're are more than just one person on the earth at a time because we need help and we all have things we need to learn and discover from one another.  Never take people for granted. Especially the ones you love...

ate mais,

Sister Anderson